Buckle construction with decorative panel



Feb. 16, 1960 H. E. sToLLMAN 2,924,827

BUCKLE CONSTRUCTION WITH DECORATIVE PANEL Filed July 9, 1958 FIG.5

INV ENTOR. H45@ Y .ff J' rau M4N United States Patent Better Belts, Inc., West New York, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 9, 1,958, Serial No. 747,498 z Claims. (ci. 2-4311) This invention relates to buckles and more particularly is directed to an improved belt buckle having a decorative facing or panel of material either blending or contrasting l l with the material of the belt. p

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve buckles of the character described which shall comprise few and simple parts, which shall be easily assembled to form an attractive buckle suitable for use with current clothing styles, particularly those for girls of teen and pre-teen ages, which shall feature a one-piece body formed by stamping or otherwise from sheet metal stock and provided with anges for securing a decorative material as a covering across the face of the buckle, which body and decorative face shall be bent rearwardly along opposite sides thereof forming means for connecting the buckle to links carried by opposite ends of a belt, which shall be rugged in construction and capable of withstand ing rough usage, which shall be inexpensive to manufacture and which shall be eihcient and practical to a high degree in use.

'Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a cinch type belt and buckle constructed to embody the invention showing the buckle n closed position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary rear perspective view of the belt and buckle shown in Fig. 1 but with the buckle detached from one end of the belt.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear view of the buckle and adjoining portions of the belt of Fig. 1 with parts broken away, and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the steps of assembling and forming the buckle.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a cinch belt and buckle constructed to embody the invention comprising a body encircling belt 11 and a decorative buckle 12. Belt 11, illustratively shown, consists of a web or strip of material M of the type well known in the art, woven of rubber and cotton or synthetic fiber to provide elasticity in a longitudinal direction. Buckle 12, as seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, may be substantially the same width as belt 11 and comprises a one-piece body 13, a decorative facing piece 14 and links 15 and 16 connected permanently and detachably, respectively, to opposite sides of body 13.

'Body 13 may be made from any suitable sheet metal stock, such as, brass or steel, plated with brass or other tarnish resistant and protective material, by die stamping to provide a base portion 13a having opposite end anges ice 2 13b bent over and clampingly retaining opposite end edges 14a of facing piece 14 thereagainst. Opposite ends of base portion 13a are bent rearwardly forming on one end a closed hook or loop 13e and on the opposite end an open hook or loop 13d. p

Links 15 and 16 are preferably identical in size and shape and may be stamped from sheet metal stock, or as shown in Fig. 4, formed of wire bent into a flattened ring shape, each having straight parallel side connecting portions 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b respectively, the longer diameter of links 15 and 16 slightly exceeding the width of belt 11 and buckle 12. Side portions 15a and 16a extend through opposite endrloops 11a of belt 11, loops 11a being formed in the well understood manner and secured by any suitable anchoring means, such as, staples, rivets orthe sewed seams 11b shown in Fig. 4.

Facing piece 14 is sized and shaped to extend across and overlie base. portion 13a as a decorative panel, extending around closed and open loops 13C and 13d and having'opposite end edges 14a extending beneath said 'bent-over clamping flanges 13b. In the embodiment of the invention here shown, facing piece 14 is illustrated as being made of the same material M used to form belt 11, rendering one of many pos-sible designs. In this regard, it is understood that within the scope of the invention other styles anddesigns for buckle 12 will be obtained by making facing piece 14 of other suitable materials, for example, leather, plastic, woven fabric or the like in a wide variety of colors and patterns and by providing additional ornamentation thereon, such as, jewels, embroidery or stamped figures and initials.

Likewise belt 11, in addition to being made of an elastic material M in a wide variety of colors and patterns, may be made of any suitable well known belting material without elastic properties, in which case, a length adjustment device of any conventional construction (not shown) may be substituted for one of the sewed seams 11b. y

The assembly of buckle 12 will now be apparent. After first forming body 13 with opposite end flanges 13b upstanding from base portion 13a as shown in Fig. 5, facing piece 14, previously cut to proper size, is centered on base `portion 13a between opposite upstanding flanges 13b. The latter are then bent down to clampingly secure opposite end edges 14a of facing piece 14 against base portion 13a. After the clamping isv complete, the opposite 'ends of the laminated structure formed thereby are bent rearwardly to form closed and open loops 13e and 13d, respectively, side connecting portion 15b of link 15 being first positioned for permanent engagement in closed loop 13e. The forming of s-aid loops 13e and 13d pulls facing piece 14 taut providing a neat, ilat tit againsts base portion 13a. When the opposite ends of belt 11 are attached to side connecting portions 15a and 15b of links 15 and 16, cinch belt and buckle 10 is ready for wearing, open loop 13d and side connecting portion 16b of link 16 forming a quick, foolproof clasp connection.

It is thus seen that there is provided an improved buckle construction having a decorative panel whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A belt buckle of the character described comprising at base portion shaped to deline the buckle configuration and having opposite ends thereof bent rearwardly to form a pair of hooks, end anges extending from opposite ends of said body along free edges of said'hooks bent down as an edge clamping means, a decorative panelr shaped to conform'to the body overlying a front side of said base portion and extending around over said Vrearwardly bent hooks and having opposite end edges clampingly secured beneath said anges, and a pair of links of flattened ring shape each having one substantially straight side portion sized to engage one of said hooks, one of thehooks being bent over for permanently securing one of the links to the body, the other of the hooks being open for detachable engagement by the other link.

' 2. A cinch belt and buckle combination of the character described comprising a waist encircling band of longitudinally elastic material terminating in opposite end loops, a pair of links of llattened ring shape each having one substantially straight side portion attached to one of said belt` loops, a buckle formed ofa one-piece sheet metal body sized to conform to the width of saidv belt, 'a

`short'length of said banding materialserving as a decorative panel overlying a front side of said body, flanges extending from opposite ends of said body and bent over clampingly retaining opposite end edges of said decorative panel against said body, opposite ends of said body being bent rearwardlytoforma-pair of hooks, the other substantially straight side portion of ysaid links ybeing adapted to engage in said hooks, one of the hooks being completely bent over against the rear side of said body 'as a permanent attachmentfor one of the links, 4the other hook being open toserve asa detachable connection between the buckle and other end of the band.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 675,748 Magoris June 4, 1901 719,152 vSleeth Jan. 27, 1903 1,530,314 Ford Mar. 17, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 334,634 France of 1903 75,881 Norway Nov. 7, 1949 

